Dennis Brown
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To see the former football player see, Dennis Brown (football player)
| Dennis Brown | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dennis Emmanuel Brown |
| Also known as | The Crown Prince of Reggae |
| Born | February 1, 1957 Kingston, Jamaica |
| Died | July 1, 1999 (aged 42) Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genre(s) | Reggae, Lovers Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1970 – 1999 |
| Label(s) | Studio One, Trojan, Harry J, Joe Gibbs, A&M, DEB, Yvonne's Special, Greensleeves, Shanachie, Heartbeat, VP, RAS |
Dennis Emmanuel Brown (February 1, 1957 – July 1, 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, he had recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the pioneers of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae. Legendary singer Bob Marley cited Brown as his favorite singer,[1] and dubbed him "The Crown Prince of Reggae".[2]
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[edit] Biography
Brown's first recording was "Lips of Wine" recorded for Derrick Harriott (The Musical Chariot), but this was not released initially. He then recorded for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, and Dodd released Brown's first single, "No Man is an Island". Brown recorded two albums for Dodd, No Man is an Island and If I Follow my Heart (the title track penned by Alton Ellis). Around this time, Brown recorded material for Lloyd Daley ("Baby Don't Do It" and "Things in Life") and material for Derrick Hariott, which was eventually released as the Super Reggae and Soul Hits album. He also worked for Earl Hayles and the Charmaine label early in his career. "Money In My Pocket" was a UK top 20 hit in 1979 (reaching #14 in the singles chart). This led to his contract with A&M Records, and to the formation of his own label, DEB records; which produced several of hits, including many by Junior Delgado.
His first big hit was "Money In My Pocket" on the Joe Gibbs label, and by the late 1970s, Brown had recorded and performed chart-toppers such as "Sitting & Watching", "Wolves and Leopards", "Here I Come" and "Revolution"; many featuring Sly and Robbie as the rhythm section. As the dancehall era of the 1980s arrived, Brown frequently recorded with King Jammy and Gussie Clark. His song "Revolution" is featured on the reggae radio station K-JAH Radio West in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.
[edit] Death
In May of 1999, after touring in Brazil with other reggae singers, Brown began to feel ill. After returning to Kingston, Jamaica, on the evening of June 30, 1999, he was rushed to Kingston's University Hospital, suffering from cardiac arrest.[3] Brown died the next day, and the official cause of his death was a collapsed lung.[3] Former Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson and opposition leader Edward Seaga of the Jamaica Labour Party both spoke at Brown's funeral, which was held on July 17, 1999 in Kingston. The service, which lasted for three hours, also featured live performances by Maxi Priest, Shaggy, and five of Brown's sons. Brown was then buried at Kingston's National Heroes Park.[4] According to some sources, Brown became addicted to crack cocaine, which affected his career and may have led to his premature death.[5][6][7]
[edit] Partial discography
[edit] Albums
- 1970 - No Man Is An Island
- 1971 - If I Follow My Heart
- 1972 - Super Reggae & Soul Hits
- 1973 - Superstar
- 1974 - Deep Down
- 1975 - Just Dennis
- 1976 - Visions
- 1977 - Westbound Train
- 1977 - Wolf & Leopards
- 1979 - Joseph's Coat Of Many Colors
- 1979 - So Long Rastafari
- 1979 - Words of Wisdom
- 1979 - Best of Volume I
- 1980 - Live At Montreux
- 1980 - Spellbound
- 1981 - Money In My Pocket
- 1982 - Best Of Volume II
- 1982 - Love Has Found It's Way
- 1982 - More
- 1982 - Stagecoach Showcase
- 1982 - Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow
- 1983 - Satisfaction Feeling
- 1983 - The Prophet Rides Again
- 1984 - Judge Not (with Gregory Isaacs)
- 1984 - Love's Got A Hold On Me
- 1985 - Revolution
- 1985 - Slow Down
- 1986 - Wild Fire (with John Holt)
- 1986 - Brown Sugar
- 1986 - History
- 1986 - Hold Tight
- 1987 - So Amazing (with Janet Kay)
- 1988 - Inseparable
- 1989 - No Contest (with Gregory Isaacs)
- 1989 - Death Before Dishonor
- 1989 - Good Vibrations
- 1990 - Over Proof
- 1990 - Unchallenged
- 1992 - Beautiful Morning
- 1992 - Blazing
- 1992 - Friends For Life
- 1992 - If I Didn't Love You
- 1993 - Best Of - Musical Heatwave 1972-75
- 1993 - Cosmic Force
- 1993 - It's The Right Time
- 1994 - Light My Fire
- 1995 - Open The Gate - Greatest Hits Volume II
- 1996 - Milk & Honey
- 1998 - Tracks of Life
- 1999 - Bless Me Jah
- 1999 - The Great Mr Brown
- 2000 - Academy
- 2000 - May Your Food Basket Never Empty
- 2002 - Dennis Brown In Dub (with Niney the Observer)
- 2002 - Memorial: Featuring John Holt
- 2002 - The Promised Land 1977-79
- 2003 - The Complete A&M Years
- 2004 - Dennis Brown Conqueror: An Essential Collection
- 2006 - Sledgehammer Special (with King Tubby)
- 2006 - Super Reggae & Soul Hits
- Absolutely the Best of Dennis Brown: The King of Lover's Rock
- Dennis Brown Sings Gregory Isaacs
- Dennis Brown & Freddie McGregor: Reggae Giants
- Go Now
- Rare Grooves: Reggae Rhythm & Blues Volume II
- Dennis Brown Presents Prince Jammy
[edit] Singles
- "Money In My Pocket" (1977) - UK No. 14
- "Love Has Found Its Way" (1982) - UK No. 47
- "Halfway Up Halfway Down" (1982) - UK No. 56
[edit] Further reading
- Penny Reel, Deep Down with Dennis Brown. (ISBN 0-9541959-0-6)
[edit] Brown in popular culture
- "Song for Dennis Brown," was written by The Mountain Goats and recorded on their 2005 album, The Sunset Tree.
- The song "If This World Were Mine" by Slightly Stoopid mentions Dennis Brown.
- Brown's song "Things in Life" plays a prominent role in Wong Kar-wai's 1994 film Chungking Express.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Dennis Brown ReggaeTrain.com, accessed December 3, 2007.
- ^ Ricky Brown, Damian Marley, Bob Marley, Dennis Brown: A King And A Prince CD Baby, accessed December 3, 2007.
- ^ a b Dennis Brown Biography MusicianGuide.com, accessed December 10, 2007
- ^ VH1.com : Dennis Brown: Reggae Fans Honor Dennis Brown - Rhapsody Music Downloads
- ^ Jo-Ann Greene, "Dennis Brown: Biography", All Music Guide, accessed November 22, 2007
- ^ Chris Salewicz, "Obituary: Dennis Brown", The Independent, July 3, 1999
- ^ D'Arcy Doran, "Toronto Fans Mourn Reggae Star's Death", Toronto Star, July 6, 1999.
[edit] External links
- All Music Guide biography
- Discography at Rootsdub
- Discography of 1970s recordings & dub sources at X Ray Music
- Interview by Roger Steffens
- Deep Down with Dennis Brown by Penny Reel
- "RIP, Dennis Brown, Crown Prince of Reggae", UA Journal, July 4, 1999.
- Obituary
- Some Dennis Brown's Vinyl Release
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